Reviews and Comments

This is a satisfying second book in what is apparently going to be a trilogy.

Mark Lawrence is now on my must-read list.

I particularly like that each of the three series of his that I've read have very different protagonists and the stories have very different feelings.

Set in the same empire as the "Thorns" books, but a completely different protagonist, this time, one who was inspired by Harry Flashman of [b:Flashman|142458|Flashman (The Flashman Papers, #1)|George MacDonald Fraser|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1320656064s/142458.jpg|1137467].

Now, I read all the Flashman books back in the 80s, and I'll admit, I got a bit tired of him, but I never tired of Prince Jalan.

Plus he travels with the bravest and strongest Viking you could imagine, and who doesn't love a good Viking?

I really enjoyed this.

I liked the little crossovers with the Thorn series.

Spoilers follow:
Things get mostly wrapped up.
Jalan and Snorri both survive.

I see no reason that we can't have more novels about them.

Loved it.

It was fun watching how someone could use Youtube and other social media to deal with alien first contact.

But for a serious sci-fi fan, I wanted more aliens.

This is a strong finish to the trilogy.

I especially like the "servicer" characters, who are basically sentient robots that the humans are barely aware of as thinking beings. I hope Yoon Ha Lee gives us more of them.

This isn't fantasy or science fiction, so I wasn't inclined to read it, but Manon told me I'd like it.

She was right.

Even though I've followed the music of many of Tom Wilson's contemporaries, I've never followed his music.

But he has a fascinating story and he tells it beautifully.

Murderbot is a delight.

Hyper competent at dealing with danger.

Hopeless at interpersonal dealings.

This is a strong finish to the trilogy.

I especially like the "servicer" characters, who are basically sentient robots that the humans are barely aware of as thinking beings. I hope Yoon Ha Lee gives us more of them.

These were well written stories, but they were bleak. And lately, I'm not in the mood for bleak stories.

When this book arrived on my e-reader from the library it was a real good news, bad news things.

Good news, because I'd get to spend more time with Murderbot. Who it is a delight to spend time with.

Bad news, because this maybe means I won't have any Murderbot time to look forward to.

I really enjoyed this.

I liked the little crossovers with the Thorn series.

Spoilers follow:
Things get mostly wrapped up.
Jalan and Snorri both survive.

I see no reason that we can't have more novels about them.

A satisfying finish to the trilogy.

It's fun reading about a character who seems to have all sorts of amazing experts living in his head. It was particularly cool how he considered what others thought was a mental illness to be an asset.

Between this book and Stranger Things, I get the impression that my life would have gone better if Dungeons and Dragons had been a thing in the early 70s and I'd found a few people to play it with.